'Anna Reese' rejects Bt6.2mil settlement sought by dead cop’s family

[robblok]

Are we missing something here? Rams a cop car at high speed, kills a cop, and leaves the scene? In a society of just laws she would be in jail; she's not. Why?

Seems the bib allowed her to leave the scene without a breath test or statement, think we can put that one down to gross stupidity on the part of the bib,

Just for a moment imagine she was a somtam stall owner driving an old rusty pickup...and the deceased had been a motocyc taxi guy with a wife and a couple of kids, the insurance company would have paid what they do as normal and end of, maybe would,nt have even made the news,

I fail to see why the fact she is an actress and the deceased a bib should make any difference.

I agree only when proved that she really did drive reckless, racing, drunk, texting and driving otherwise its just an accident something that can happen to any of us. Normal compensations are far less as what is being asked here.

[mmh8]

Are we missing something here? Rams a cop car at high speed, kills a cop, and leaves the scene? In a society of just laws she would be in jail; she's not. Why?

Seems the bib allowed her to leave the scene without a breath test or statement, think we can put that one down to gross stupidity on the part of the bib,

Just for a moment imagine she was a somtam stall owner driving an old rusty pickup...and the deceased had been a motocyc taxi guy with a wife and a couple of kids, the insurance company would have paid what they do as normal and end of, maybe would,nt have even made the news,

I fail to see why the fact she is an actress and the deceased a bib should make any difference.

we can probably put that down to standard procedure. just think of all the problems it would bring up in court if someone has decided before hand they are guilty or innocent, all that embarrassing evidence etc. no better to have none

[nithisa78]

The depth of the ignorance on display on TV is always impressive, but especially in this thread.

1. The Reese woman is at at fault. She crashed her car into a parked car. Period. A car parked legally at the side of the road did not cause the car driven by the woman to hit it. Yes, the crash was an accident, which is to say no more than that she did not intend to crash into the parked car, but her responsibility does not depend solely on her intentions, but also on such factors as whether she was exercising due caution in driving her car on that occasion, to which the answer is clearly "no." Virtually all car crashes are accidents, but someone is always responsible legally.

2. She almost certainly broke the law even if she was sober and may yet be prosecuted for it, but the negotiations with the family do not concern criminal liability, but only liability for the damages she caused to the dead cop and his family. Civil and criminal liabilities are distinct. That said, it might be that the cops at the negotiations or the surviving family members may use the threat of criminal prosecution to pressure the driver into reaching agreement with the family.

3. Whether or not she broke the law, she did cause a material loss to the family of the cop. The principal of monetary compensation for the loss of life is well-established in Anglo-Saxon law and, I believe, at least as well-established in Thai law. The life of the person who was wrongfully killed has a value in baht which depends on how much he was earning, his prospects for futures earnings, and other economic considerations. The value of the life of a street bum is not the same as the value of the life of a successful surgeon. Every one knows that the real value of a human life cannot be converted into currency, but it is widely accepted that failure to compensate the victim or his survivors would be even more egregiously offend common sense.

4. The value of the cop's life that was lost does not depend on the net worth of the driver who killed him. However, the likelihood of recovering compensation for the amount of the loss does very much depend on the wealth of the person responsible. The notion that the woman responsible in this case should somehow be immune from making restitution for the harm she has caused because a poor person similarly culpable would be unable to compensate the victim's family, beggars belief. If no one ever had more responsibility that the least capable person in society there would be no liability ever. This fact of life is widely recognized in Anglo-Saxon law. Your unlikely to get a lawyer even to take your case if the other party is without assets.

5. Insurance companies agree to assume your liability under specified conditions, but always up to a certain maximum limit. That fact does not mean that the person who caused the loss is exempt from the actual, real losses of the victims beyond what the insurance company will assume. If that were the case, no insurance policy would every pay more than one dollar.

6. Reese may walk out on a negotiating session, but she knows that she cannot refuse to negotiate and that, in the end, she will have to pay an amount that the other side considers acceptable. Public opinion in Thailand strongly supports such an expectation. If she were to walk away from her responsibility the cop's family would have recourse to a civil suit for damages. She might be able to prevail in court, but that is far from certain.

The only aspect of this case that is particular to Thailand is the public nature of the bargaining that is going on over the amount of compensation from the guilty party. It may strike us unseemly, but such negotations are the norm even in the West although it is not likely to be so visible. In the US only the lawyers would be talking and they would be unlikely to talk to the press.

This thread presents a cornucopia of ways to fail to understand the obvious.

This is impressive. #2 , will happen. #4- Is also reality. The remainder of what you have donated here, World Class.

Thank you, Sir. Be well.

[DavisH]

6 million seems quite reasonable, if we consider the policeman conservatively gets 20K a month over 25 years (excluding any extras or salary increase). That comes out to 6 million. Quite fair and that only covers his salary, not to mention loss of the loved one. She doesn't want this to end up in court, as I think the payout could become much higher than she expects.

Edited August 11, 2015 by DavisH

[gemguy]

Hmmmm....but, but, we still have not heard anything about the verdict concerning any charges brought against her and or was she drunk???? and or driving recklessly???.... or yak-kitty-yak-yak-yakking on the cell phone when she plowed into the parked police officers car....even if the car should not have been parked there in the first place....while a GOOD and alert and cautious and defensive driver would not have plowed into any car in the first place

Maybe???? after paying off everyone to drop the charges and keep the details out of the press she is low on funds.....maybe??...you would think.....maybe??

Cheers

[gemguy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kBX0K9nxPc&feature=player_detailpage

This may be suitable song to play at the trail

Cheers

Edited August 11, 2015 by gemguy

[NCFC]

In most of these cases the hisos don't care about the victims. But at least Anna Reese gave a sh!t

[Don Mega]

In most of these cases the hisos don't care about the victims. But at least Anna Reese gave a sh!t

Up until they stuck their hand out for some cash.

[Langsuan Man]

In most of these cases the hisos don't care about the victims. But at least Anna Reese gave a sh!t

Otherwise known as Crocodile tears

[z42]

Guilty or not a man has died prematurely and she is at the very least partially responsible for that through her driving. If you saw the video you'd see that she appears absolutely wasted, is refusing point blank to co operate with the authorities on site, and then you see both cars are absolutely totalled.

I think what many find so distasteful here is that she is successfully manipulating the whole civil / legal issue to her terms, I can't quite see how that can go down well with anybody; The law is applicable to all and it seems that all this abominable woman is doing is to pay the least amount of money in lieu of a jail term (or even a night in the cells) which is what normal people would expect to face in that situation.

Those defending the system here, go out in your car tonight and plough into a cop car.. Hang around for a bit and then just casually try to make your way home when it suits. See how you get on

[sabai-dee-man]

What did the families of Adam Lloyd and Vanessa Arscott receive from the off-duty police officer who murdered them?

[Don Mega]

What did the families of Adam Lloyd and Vanessa Arscott receive from the off-duty police officer who murdered them?

A big fat zero wasn't it. But then the copper was not some supposed crazy rich hiso Luk Kueng actress was he.

[harleyclarkey]

To the hang 'em high brigade here who always seem to crawl out of the woodwork....do you remember the Thai girl who flipped her car off the highway killing eight(/) poor innocents? The red bull heir?

Do you really think these, and many, many more, were settled for 6.2M Baht each?

Let's see...say he earned (including a very modest tea money supplement) 10,000 baht a month...the 6 .2m baht would be roughly 52 years service.

Hell no...this is about soaking a foreigner in true Thai style. The sum demanded is a huge figure for a Thai family and especially one on a ridiculously low wage. I wouldn't call it a salary.

Unless you are a non-commissioned, column 1, Thai cop who entered the police department with a high school education you are paid after four years on the job (assuming no additional step increase beyond the usual annual increase). a salary of Baht 5,580 per month or US$177.42 a month. (another post says it is 10,000 baht).That works out to be 183 baht or just under $6 bucks a day. The minimum wage in Thailand is 300 baht a day, which is closer to $10.00 a day.

If officers are appointed to a position, such as inspector, chief inspector in suppression or forensic units they receive an additional 3,000 to 5,700 baht, or if they are investigation officers (regular to expert) they receive an additional 12,000-30,000 baht, in executive positions (5,600 – 21,000 baht) or special expert/teaching positions (3,500 – 15,000 baht), increasing with rank. As is evident, the chance for supplemental pay is limited to the higher ranks with officers who’ve received specialized education or training. Typically a university graduate would start as an officer with a higher pay.

She isn't a foreigner,she is Thai

Thanks Soalbundy.....the eyes aren't what they used to be!

I guess it should have been soak the rich...another pastime!

You can't value a life but if you had to, as in this case, it has to be on the potential and the earnings of the victim.

This is a tragedy, I suppose, for all and I would like to think she has feelings of remorse and perhaps guilt?

Regards

[SOTIRIOS]

...not that sorry I guess....

...it showed that she was acting.....

...they just have to sue for 1 million USD....

...then she will REALLY be sorry........won't have to tap into her poor acting...

[Don Mega]

The mention of value of a life on potential earnings.

Lets flip this around and say the person asleep in the car was not a Thai policeman earning 20k per month but instead a foreigner working and living here (been here a while and settled, has Thai wife and kids)..... lets say he is earning 200k per month (average salary for an expat).

what sort of coin does the widow of the foreigner chase.... 10 times that of a Thai widower.....in this instance it would be 62 million.....

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Even apart from the police having dropped the ball and not tested her for drugs or intoxication at the scene of the accident or shortly thereafter, there's still no reason they couldn't bring some kind of criminal case against her -- if they wanted to.

It would depend on the other circumstances of the case, which haven't as far as I've seen been made public thus far. Little details like just where was the cop's car when it was hit -- was he parked in the roadway in the path of oncoming cars, or was his vehicle well off to the side of the road when she plowed into him. What was her rate of speed at the time relative to the speed limit on that road? Any witness statements? Any physical evidence like signs of braking/skid marks (or total lack thereof) on the roadway.

This is the part of the Thai "justice" system I've always been the most uncomfortable with. It seems like police often make their decisions to file or not file criminal cases depending on whether the parties involved reach a financial settlement or not. At its worst, that simply allows wealthy people to buy their way out of responsibility for criminal acts. But more than that, it also perverts the sense of justice that in a lawful society, people should be punished in accords with the law when they commit criminal acts.

When the law simply becomes another thing that is for sale, the sense of justice and social responsibility is eroded, and people at large lose respect for the values of law and justice. And you end up with a society where far too many citizens don't respect the law, don't respect the police, and don't value the meaning of justice.

Edited August 11, 2015 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[tomacht8]

The law for the VIP´s is not the same as for normal people.
As long as the inequality before the law exists; thailand will no step forward.
The buy out of lawbreakers from punishment must cease.

[Don Mega]

Even apart from the police having dropped the ball and not tested her for drugs or intoxication at the scene of the accident or shortly thereafter, there's still no reason they couldn't bring some kind of criminal case against her -- if they wanted to.

It would depend on the other circumstances of the case, which haven't as far as I've seen been made public thus far. Little details like just where was the cop's car when it was hit -- was he parked in the roadway in the path of oncoming cars, or was his vehicle well off to the side of the road when she plowed into him. What was her rate of speed at the time relative to the speed limit on that road? Any witness statements? Any physical evidence like signs of braking/skid marks (or total lack thereof) on the roadway.

This is the part of the Thai "justice" system I've always been the most uncomfortable with. It seems like police often make their decisions to file or not file criminal cases depending on whether the parties involved reach a financial settlement or not. At its worst, that simply allows wealthy people to buy their way out of responsibility for criminal acts. But more than that, it also perverts the sense of justice that in a lawful society, people should be punished in accords with the law when they commit criminal acts.

When the law simply becomes another thing that is for sale, the sense of justice and social responsibility is eroded, and people at large lose respect for the values of law and justice. And you end up with a society where far too many citizens don't respect the law, don't respect the police, and don't value the meaning of justice.

The issue is two-fold.

The guilty that can pay the money to sort it will.

The guilty that cannot will get 200 years in jail.

the justice system is ................................

I'll leave it there.

Edited August 11, 2015 by Don Mega

[wolfmanjack]

The only reason this dickering over settlement is going on is duel of the RTP involvment. The job of a policeman is to enforce written law and protect and servie the general population /residenys (includinhg tourists)

The settlement between potential claiments in any action which could lead to ligitagition in the courts is absolutly non of their business nor corcern..

This settlement would settle the civil case. I still don't quite see if she hasn't broken any laws, why she actually has to settle anything........

I do not know about in thailand but in the USA a criminal case is much harder to win than a civil case because the criminal case has a higher standard of proof required.

[callaway]

You guys are amazing. The "hang em high" brigade is out in force. Wasnt he parked on the side of a highway sleeping? Does that not indicated he may have been to drunk to drive thus stopping and sleeping on a highway? Wouldnt one get off the highway and go park in a soi if wanting to sleep? Does this not mean he must accept some apportion of the blame for the accident? Where is the RTP insurance for him? I believe the family just see a cash cow. This is not the way justice should be done. She is thai and should be liable to pay as any thai would do. Irrespective of who she is. Who says she is wealthy? Because she drives a Merc? Finance? The family should be entitled to his pension and medical care and only his future earnings. 44 years old. 16 years max working life. 15000 a month comes to 2,880,000. Therefore 3 million would be a fair settlement. You cannot factor in the "dirty" money he would have got each month either.

[fish fingers]

In most of these cases the hisos don't care about the victims. But at least Anna Reese gave a sh!t

literally

[callaway]

In most of these cases the hisos don't care about the victims. But at least Anna Reese gave a sh!t

Up until they stuck their hand out for some cash.

Yes but they are sticking their hand out too much. Halve it and may be somewhere near fair. then discount due to his apportion of the blame for stopping on a highway and sleeping. Who in their right mind would do that unless your were molly monk.

[fish fingers]

Where is the beer kid today? What happened to him?

A yr ago he was happily attending a college course in central London, not sure if he's still in the UK tho

[sabai-dee-man]

What did the families of Adam Lloyd and Vanessa Arscott receive from the off-duty police officer who murdered them?

A big fat zero wasn't it. But then the copper was not some supposed crazy rich hiso Luk Kueng actress was he.

Not that I am supporting her in any way, or the idea that simply paying victims families off resolves someone of their guilt, but now it's a copper's family that are aggrieved, they're screaming out for justice.

Irony, Baldrick!

[catman20]

Come on guys.

6.2 million.

Just because she is a foreithai doesn't mean she has to pay quadruple.

Double is the standard.

have to agree with you it dose sound like extortion

[Ace of Pop]

What a lot of negative comments. If the copper was corrupt would you still agree with that? what if the copper abused power a lot.

This is why it should be criminal charge - manslaughter, negligence, accidental etc. let it go to court, let just ( ha ha ha TIT) ice have its way.

I don't understand if the poseters here dislike the woman because she is rich? thai? female?

what makes her a bitch? why do you think she is drunk? why should she be vilified for this, yet others can get away with all sorts?

just because this happened to be police why should she be charged with more serious offense? the head of BKK police refused to be breathalised not long ago, if it was that one would you all still be complaining,

Interesting you bring up corruption.

Maybe the family honestly do believe he was earning Bt.100,000 per month (instead of a realistic Bt.15,000) based on what he was bringing home. Hence the request for 6.2 million (or about 5 years of perceived salary).

. True ,it's bit like a ferang earning 200 KPM, when its nearer 20 for the average Teacher here.

[metisdead]

A post containing a derogatory slur toward Thai police has been removed.

[Don Mega]

What a lot of negative comments. If the copper was corrupt would you still agree with that? what if the copper abused power a lot.

This is why it should be criminal charge - manslaughter, negligence, accidental etc. let it go to court, let just ( ha ha ha TIT) ice have its way.

I don't understand if the poseters here dislike the woman because she is rich? thai? female?

what makes her a bitch? why do you think she is drunk? why should she be vilified for this, yet others can get away with all sorts?

just because this happened to be police why should she be charged with more serious offense? the head of BKK police refused to be breathalised not long ago, if it was that one would you all still be complaining,

Interesting you bring up corruption.

Maybe the family honestly do believe he was earning Bt.100,000 per month (instead of a realistic Bt.15,000) based on what he was bringing home. Hence the request for 6.2 million (or about 5 years of perceived salary).

. True ,it's bit like a ferang earning 200 KPM, when its nearer 20 for the average Teacher here.

wow, are you only on 20k... explains a lot.

[Ace of Pop]

I'm just a poor old pensioner,who knows how to spot liars. [emoji572]️

[Oceanbat]

There are astill a few issues that some posters have not taken into account here, - in addition to the earlier mentioned possiblity of karma sand potential corruption-

that aside probability of any thai parking safely - think on this one people, if any of you have found someone pulled over in the fast lane with blinkers on to make a phone call then raise your hands - the Thai is incapable of parking safely, they will park on corners, blind corners, opposite junctions etc all the stuff that would normally be filed under common sense.

assuminng the policeman had any sense at all - I know this one is harder, but hands up any that have almost been run over by police on motorbike on pavement? almost hit a police on a motorbike because they was doing counter current as you made the turn,turned the corner etc etc.

why so much hate , there was less hate for the red bull heir - ok if she was greek or cypriot she may have shaved her armpits anyway, but those countries problems do not deserve her to be victimised.j

I am begining to think that many tv are women haters, its a shame, but I guess it goes with the territory in some cases.

shitting yourself in public is not necessarily the end of the world, it could even be a career maker e.g. Paris hilton sex tape same same

the biggest issue here is youose think that she is rich. actresses and acgtors do not make that much, and even less can hold onto it,

also some of the thai ones end uip in the classy brothels selling it since they don't earn much.

don't hate people, its bad enough this country struggles with justice, sometimes I feel they may just base all judgements in court on tv

There is a strong underlying misogynistic tone to many of the comments on this thread. A lot of people don't seem to like women and especially young Thai women who might be more successful than themselves.

OB